I have to say I was impressed with Michelle Obama's speech yesterday.

I'm hoping it sets a tone for the campaign from here on out, because it took the road that I've been wishing for Obama this whole time: McCain is offering you fear, we are offering you hope.

My favorite part:

He talked about "The world as it is" and "The world as it should be." And he said that all too often, we accept the distance between the two, and settle for the world as it is - even when it doesn't reflect our values and aspirations. But he reminded us that we know what our world should look like. We know what fairness and justice and opportunity look like. And he urged us to believe in ourselves - to find the strength within ourselves to strive for the world as it should be. And isn't that the great American story?

I actually do agree with that. Whenever I travel abroad, people I speak with tell me the defining thing about Americans isn't their money, or their rudeness, or any of the other stereotypes...it's that they don't accept the world as it is. Most Europeans I've met, and CERTAINLY most members of the former Soviet Union I've met, seem, even by their own admission, rather cynical about the way the world works.

Americans have defied "common knowledge" so many times, and with it done some pretty amazing (and pretty horrible) things, but the point is, that's us. We don't take "no" for an answer. We created national public schooling, national highways, the internet, an enormous slave-driven economy AND then tore it down...all sorts of things unimaginable to the "authorities" of the day.

Hell, just this morning argued my internet provider out of their latest rate hike by just being stubborn as hell until they gave me the price I wanted.

If I didn't refuse to accept "no" for an answer, I couldn't go into my classroom every day and teach a bunch of teenagers who want to be anywhere but sitting in front of me.

Speaking to this quality in Americans will make them feel GOOD, in an otherwise lousy time.

McCain, when he speaks to Americans, makes them feel AFRAID. That in itself has its advantages. But, at least in America, hope speaks louder than fear.

Yes, Obama has been tossing the word "hope" around a great deal, but in practice most of what he spends his time doing is defending his "patriotism" and trying to show how "tough", in a realpolitik sense, he is. Which is a mistake.

He needs to create tangible visions of a better America in voters' minds. It worked for FDR, with his "chicken in every pot" speech. McCain really has no defense against this approach, other than looking like that crusty old guy who sits on a porch and says, "that'll never work, that'll never work", which is what Obama needs to paint him as.

Every time McCain waves the specter of war and terrorism in people's faces, Obama needs to re-direct the conversation the way his wife did last night, and talk about a focus on people's jobs, health and wallets at home as opposed to guns and tanks abroad.

Every time McCain starts igniting the culture wars with talk of abortion and gay marriage, Obama needs to talk about issues that transcend those allegiances - the environment, health care, etc.

I know I've been saying that for months now, but Michelle Obama finally seems to be doing it. Let's hope her husband follows suit.

If he does, I might even in good conscience vote for him.

-SW